Campaign Launched to Protect the Religious Liberty of Employees at County Clerk's Offices Across California

Beginning June 16, 2008, at 5:01pm, county clerks across California will begin to issue licenses to same-sex couples who are rushing to the “altar” now that the Supreme Court has redefined marriage.  However, employees of county clerk’s offices who have an objection to issuing the same-sex licenses due to their religious beliefs have a constitutional right not to participate in same-sex marriages, and a state-wide campaign has been launched to protect the religious freedom of employees across California.

It has been reported that some county clerks, including the Riverside County Clerk’s Office, have stated that all employees within the Clerk’s office must participate in same-sex marriages regardless of their religious views on the subject.  We have also received similar information from the San Diego County Clerk’s Office.

On June 16, 2008, Advocates for Faith and Freedom, together with the Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council, faxed an advisory letter to California county clerks stating that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, religious employees have the right to be protected from discrimination in their workplace and are entitled to a reasonable accommodation of their beliefs.  This means that employees cannot be forced to participate in same-sex marriages in violation of their religious beliefs.

Read the full press release here.

To read the advisory letter to California County Clerks, click here.

If you would like to donated to Advocates, click here.